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Most.Rev.Fr. Arockia Sebastian Durairaj SVD

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Fr. Arockia Sebastian Durairaj (Provincial Superior of the SVD Central Indian Province) Bishop of Khandwa. The announcement was made public at 3.30 pm (IST) on May 11,
2009

Fr. A.S. Durairaj is the third bishop of Khandwa and he succeeds Most Rev. Dr. Abraham Viruthakulangara (1977 to 1998) and Most Rev. Dr. Leo Cornelio SVD (1999 to 2007).

The bishop-elect was born on May 3 1957 in Thirunagar, in the Diocese of Madurai in Tamilnadu. After attending elementary school in the hometown and in Madurai, he entered St. Charles Seminary in Tiruchirapalli for the Society of Divine Word, where he also attended the Pre-University Course. After completing Juniorate  program at Palda, and the Novitiate at Khurda, both in Diocese of Indore, in 1978, He made his perpetual profession in the Society of the Divine Word on June 12 1984 and was ordained priest on 8 May 1985. There after, he served as parochial vicar at Jhabua (1985 – 1987), Procurator, SVD Vidhya Bhavan, Bhopal (1987-1988), Prefect of the students at Juniorate  Palda (1988-1993), Spiritual Director,  Khrist Premalaya Regional Philosophate, Bhopal (1995 – 1996),  Rector,  SVD Vidya Bhavan, Bhopal (1996-1999), Deputy Director, Snehalaya, Center for Spirituality, Indore (2003-2004) and Rector Regional Philosophate, Bhopal, (2004-2005). In 2005, Fr. Durairaj was elected Provincial Superior of the Central Indian Province of the SVD missionaries, the office he held at the time of his appointment as the third bishop of Khandwa. The bishop elect has a postgraduate degree in Counseling (USA) and Doctorate in Education Psychology (USA).